To address the growing pollution in the Godavari River, Divisional Commissioner Dr. Praveen Gedam has ordered the creation of a comprehensive plan to identify and rectify sites where sewage is being directly discharged into the river from Brahmagiri to Nashik. He has also directed the Nashik Municipal Corporation to appoint a nodal officer to oversee this initiative. On July 29, Dr. Gedam led a review meeting of the Godavari Pollution Control Committee at his office. Key participants included Collector Jalaj Sharma, Municipal Commissioner Dr. Ashok Karanjkar, Zilla Parishad Additional Chief Executive Officer Arjun Gunde, Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Smita Zagde, Deputy Commissioner (Entertainment Fee) Rani Tate, Smart City Chief Executive Officer Sumant More, and petitioners Nishikant Pagare and Rajesh Pandit. Representatives from Niri joined the meeting via video conference.
During the session, Dr. Gedam stressed the urgent need to prevent sewage from entering the Godavari River and discussed practical measures to reduce pollution. He pointed out that sewage contamination is a major cause of pollution and underscored the necessity of locating and addressing these sources promptly. Dr. Gedam also highlighted the importance of monitoring sewage production, ensuring proper processing at sewage treatment plants, and confirming that treated sewage does not re-enter the river. He called for thorough analysis and reporting on these aspects to enhance pollution control efforts.
The Nashik Municipal Corporation raised concerns about companies within the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) discharging chemically contaminated water into the Godavari. Dr. Gedam recommended a detailed discussion with Niri to address this issue and submit a comprehensive report. Additionally, Dr. Gedam proposed the development of an automatic system to monitor water level fluctuations in the Godavari during rainfalls or dam water releases. He suggested employing advanced technical systems such as BISAG from the Government of India for this purpose. The meeting concluded with a call for immediate action and increased collaboration among all stakeholders to safeguard the Godavari River from further pollution.